


Love, Your Hero

by SkylarEQuinn



Series: Soulmates [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-28 17:51:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21140759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkylarEQuinn/pseuds/SkylarEQuinn
Summary: Soulmates Human AU. Alfred F. Jones remembers all of his past lives being married to Alice Kirkland. But in this life, he's a movie star and she's his new manager. How can he get her to love him without her thinking it's some fake Hollywood gesture?





	1. Chapter 1

According to the tabloids and talk shows, actor Alfred F. Jones had it all. As far as the general public was concerned, he was living the life. But things weren't always as they seemed. Deep down, he was missing the one thing he knew would make his life complete. And that one thing was her, Alice Kirkland. Nothing in his life would ever seem right until he had her for himself. That he knew for sure.

Alfred wasn't like most people he knew. He had an impeccable memory. In fact, it was so good that he could remember every past life he had ever lived. They started out around medieval era up until the present day. He had done research on it and found he wasn't the only person in the world like that, which made him feel wonderful. Though there was only one thing that made him different from the others like him. He had never mixed up any of his lives.

In each life, there was only one common denominator. That common denominator was Alice. To most people, she had come off as plain, boring, and a bit of a bummer. But to Alfred, she was a goddess. A blonde-haired, glasses-wearing goddess with eyes like emeralds. He didn't care what anyone else thought of her. To him, she was perfection personified.

"Mr. Jones, listen," his manager, Annika Väinämöinen told him one afternoon. "I don't think I can be your manager anymore."

Alfred, who had been lying back with his eyes closed was suddenly sitting upright and alert. "What? Why?" His eyes focused on the Finnish woman on the other side of the coffee table. "Is everything okay? What happened, Annika? It wasn't me, was it?"

"Remember the gym we went to in that last city we were in?" Annika slowly asked him.

"Yeah," Alfred answered. "We both got our own personal trainers there, and you were really quiet after your session. I didn't ask about it because I felt it was none of my business."

"Alfred, I know you hired me because I'm like you," she stated. "I remember my past lives just as well as you remember yours." She took a deep breath when Alfred nodded. "He was my personal trainer at that gym, Al. My soulmate is back in that city. I finally found him, and I need to go back to him."

He bit his lip and nodded. "I understand," he answered, masking the hurt in his voice the best that he could. "Thank you for your time with me, Annika. You made me feel understood and less alone."

Annika frowned, holding back tears. "Oh, Alfie," she sighed before getting up and hugging him. "As my last act as your manager, I promise you that I will find Alice."

"Oh, you don't have to-"

"I've already started looking," Annika answered, cutting him off. She pulled out her phone and pulled up a picture. "Would this happen to be her?"

Alfred's eyes widened in awe at the long, golden tresses and the sparkling emerald eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. "That's her," he breathed.

"You know, she went to school for business," Annika stated. "In other words, she's more qualified to be your manager than I am." Her large, violet eyes sparkled with joy. "Just say the words, Alfie. She has an online resume just waiting to be picked up."

"You really mean it?" he asked.

"If I get my happy ending, you sure as hell are going to get yours," she answered with a wink. "I'll go make some calls and set up your Happily Ever After."

"Annika, you're seriously the best," Alfred enthused.

"I know I'm awesome. Praise me more," she answered before exiting the room with her phone to her ear.

Alfred raked his blond bangs back with his hand before letting them fall back over his thick-rimmed glasses. That made him decide he needed a haircut before meeting Alice. He wanted that day to be perfect. Everything about that day had to be perfect. At least he knew everything she liked and disliked.

He closed his eyes and laid back onto the couch like he was before. "Alice Kirkland, it will be a pleasure to meet you," he happily sighed. "Again."

.

Two Days Later

There was a sharp knock on Alfred's apartment door that startled him out of his daydreaming as Annika as Annika ran to answer it. He made sure to sit up straight, knowing that it was Alice on the other side of the door. His heart began to pound as he heard Annika greet her and welcome her inside. Alfred didn't realize he was holding his breath until Annika walked in with Alice and barked, "For God's sake, Alfred, breathe!"

Alice's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Does he have breathing problems I should know about?" she asked in a clipped, English accent.

"No, he's just a moron," Annika answered, rolling her eyes. "Alfred, say hi to Alice."

The rehearsed speech Alfred had created to introduce himself to Alice flew completely out the window as he gazed at the English woman before him. "Hey, I'm Alfred," he finally said.

"How do you do? My name is Alice Kirkland," she greeted. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Jones. It comes to my attention that you are seeking a new manager?"

"That is correct," he answered with a nod.

Alice adjusted her glasses. "Dare I ask why the position is now open?"

"Annika is eloping with her personal trainer," Alfred simply answered.

"Alfred Franklin Jones!" Annika yelped, pelting him with a throw pillow. "You're not supposed to tell people that!"

"Well I refuse to lie to Alice," he stated.

Alice's expression softened upon hearing that. A man who had just met her already refusing to lie to her? How could that be? All men ever did was lie to her, especially her rat of an ex, Francis. What was with Alfred? Did he really mean that?

"That's still not a reason to inform her of my personal life!"

"But you're not denying what I said," Alfred teased back.

"I'll take the job," Alice piped up.

"What?" Annika asked. She looked over at Alice in surprise, freezing in her position of whacking Alfred over the head with a magazine. "You'll take it? You're willing to put up with him?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alfred demanded.

"I'll take the job," Alice repeated.

"Then you're hired," Alfred answered.

She blinked in surprise. "That fast?"

"You've got potential," he explained. He winked at her. "Welcome to the big times, little rookie."

Alice's face turned a bright shade of red as she clasped her hands tightly in her lap and looked down at them. "Thank you, Mr. Jones!" she managed to reply.

"No, that won't do," Alfred told her. "Here in this business, 'Mr. Jones' is way too formal for my liking. Please call me Alfred instead."

The young British girl looked up at her male companion. "I-I'll do my best," she told him. How could she just simply call this god of a man by his first name? It was definitely going to take a lot of practice to be able to do so! She could feel both people's eyes on her, so she looked up and nearly melted. Alfred was giving her a concerned look. "I-I mean, I'll do it!" she corrected herself.

"That's the spirit, Alice!" Alfred encouraged. He gave her a thumbs up and a wide grin. "You can do it!"

"You're right," she said, feeling her confidence being boosted by his kind words. "I can!"

He smiled at her. "I will not accept no for an answer from you, Alice Kirkland. Got that?" Alfred winked at her, smiling his most charming smile at her. "Since you're my new manager, you have to be confident in yourself and who you are, just like how I am."

Alice looked down at her feet. "Right," she softly said. How was she going to be confident while being Alfred F. Jones's manager? How could she accomplish a feat like that? She had never felt confident in herself before, so how could she ever be over-the-top with confidence like he was? There was no way that could ever work. But she had to believe in herself. If Alfred believed in her, then maybe it really was possible.

"I should probably get going," Annika said. "I need to get to my hotel. Check-out is early in the morning, but I'll be sure to stop by and say goodbye to my favorite actor." She leaned down and kissed both of Alfred's cheeks. "Love you, Alfie. I'll see you later." She smiled at Alice. "I'll see you later, Alice. It was a pleasure to meet you."

"You as well," Alice said, blushing. She was surprised that Alfred's old manager had kissed him like that and even told him that she loved him. Were they ever going to be that close? Oh, God, she hoped so! "Have a good night, Annika. And thank you for the opportunity."

"Not a problem at all," Annika answered with a smile, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I will see you two when I see you." She wiggled her fingers in a farewell wave and smiled at them. "Buh-bye."

And with that, Annika was gone, leaving Alfred and Alice alone together. The male looked over at the female with focused blue eyes before opening his mouth to speak.

"Are you hungry at all, Alice?" he asked. "We could go and grab a bite to eat if you'd like." Alfred reached onto the coffee table and grabbed the car keys that were on there. "I've got a car."

"If you wouldn't mind," Alice softly said, suddenly feeling how hungry she was. "That would be wonderful. I would greatly appreciate it."

"Sure thing," Alfred answered with a grin. He stood up and offered Alice a hand to help her up, remembering how in past lives she had always told her that a gentleman always helps a lady up.

Alice looked up at him, astonished. "Th-Thank you," she said, taken aback. She grabbed his hand, feeling how soft and warm it was as he helped her up. "You are so kind, Alfred." Her cheeks were flushed as she smiled up at him.

"It's not a problem at all," Alfred answered with a kind smile. "A gentleman should always help a lady up after all." He winked at her. "At least, that's what I've been told." His smile was contagious, causing her to smile with him. "You have a beautiful smile, Alice. You should really smile more often."

"You really think so?" she asked, feeling her face grow even hotter by the minute. "Thank you, Alfred. You're too kind." If things kept going like this, she would be falling for him in no time, and how would that look on her part? She shook her head and mentally told herself to snap out of it. There was no way she could allow herself to fall for the charms of Alfred F. Jones, no matter how wonderful he truly was.

.

Over dinner, they talked more about themselves and got to know each other better. Alice learned that Alfred had a golden retriever named Lucky back at his parents' farm in Ohio. It made her oddly happy to hear that he grew up on a farm. That fun fact made Alfred seem like he was more normal than most celebrities.

"Tell me more about you," Alfred said, leaning across the table toward her. "Tell me about who your heroes were when you were growing up, what your hopes and dreams were, things like that."

"Who was my hero?" Alice softly asked herself, staring down at her plate. She thought and thought for a moment before finally coming up with an answer. "My hero was Sherlock Holmes. He could solve just about any case, and I wanted to be a detective just like him when I was a young girl."

"Why not Nancy Drew?" Alfred asked, grinning at her.

"Oh, heavens no!" Alice scoffed. "Sherlock Holmes was much better." She smiled back at Alfred. "Nancy Drew was only a child. Kind of like the Scooby Doo gang or whatever."

Alfred nearly snorted. "You're really comparing Nancy Drew to Mystery Incorporated?" he asked. He couldn't keep his laughter contained. "That's awesome! You're really something, Alice."

She looked over her shoulder to see people staring, probably having never seen Alfred laugh like this before. "Alfred, people are staring," she softly said.

"Sorry," he apologized, calming down. "This is just one of the most entertaining conversations I've had in a long time, and I greatly appreciate it!" He grinned at her from across the table. "I hope that we have many more like it."

Alice felt her lips pull into a soft smile. "I hope so too. That way I know we'll get along just fine."

"Oh, I already know that we will," Alfred answered, winking. "Just trust me on this. I've never had a better feeling about a person than I do about you."

"Oh, is that so?" Alice asked, amused. "Well I can't wait to see how well all of this works out then." She raised an eyebrow. "If you're sure your feeling is correct."

"I've never been wrong before," he assured.

Alice felt her heart beating madly in her chest. She couldn't be falling for him already! That was preposterous! How could she be falling for him already? It wasn't fair! Why couldn't she have some kind of special power to make him fall for her just as fast?

"Is everything okay, Alice?" Alfred asked, giving her a concerned look. "You're being pretty quiet tonight. I hope I'm not making you uncomfortable."

"You're not," she assured, smiling at him. "I just have a lot on my mind. I want to be a great manager is all." There was no way he could ever find out that she had fallen for him. No way in hell.


	2. Chapter 2

Three Months Later

Alice found herself alone in a booming nightclub that she had gone to with Alfred, trying to remember what she was personally doing there herself. Sure, Alfred needed to be there for publicity and all, but she personally had no business being there. So that once again posed the question the kept entering her mind. What was she doing there?

Of course, there was a very simple answer to that. Alfred. Why else would she be there if he hadn't invited her to come along? The only thing was, though she was his date, she had barely seen him since they had gotten there, due to adoring fans and such. She had quickly found a corner booth to wait for him in while she nursed a bottle of apple ale.

"I'm sorry about that, Alice," Alfred apologized nearly an hour later, as he slid into the spot across the table from her. "I finally found a bouncer to hold them all off. It's just us now, I promise."

She glared up at him. "Why should I care?" she huffed. "It's not like this is an actual date. Go dance with all of the girls for all I care." Even though she tried to sound indifferent, her voice betrayed her, showing her true feelings on the matter of being ditched by the man who had invited her along.

"So you're upset with me," Alfred concluded.

"Of course I am!" Alice nearly shouted, struggling to be heard over the music. "I could have been doing better things with my night, Alfred! I'm your bloody manager, for crying out loud! But no, I'm stuck in an exclusive dance club by myself for your publicity or whatever it was! I'm so mad that I don't even remember anymore!" She was fuming, surprised by the lack of steam shooting from her ears. "I just want to go home!"

"Then I'll take you home," Alfred said, fishing around his pocket for his car keys. "It's that simple, Alice."

"And what will you do once I'm back home? Come back out here?" she demanded. "Annika told me to keep a close eye on you, Jones!"

Alfred chuckled to himself. "No need to worry about me coming back here. The music is killing my head. I'll just go home after dropping you off."

"Swear to me that you will," Alice told him.

Alfred stuck out his pinky. "I pinky swear."

"What are you? Five?" Alice scoffed. Yet even though she dissed it, she still linked pinkies with him.

"Hey now," Alfred defended. "Pinky promises are legit. I've never ever broken one." His words slightly slurred as he spoke. "Now let's get going."

"Just how drunk are you right now?" Alice asked him, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Why does it matter?"

In one swift movement, Alice snatched Alfred's keys out of his hand."I'm driving," she decided. "And you're just going to have to stay over on my couch tonight. End of story."

Alfred sighed, but he didn't argue.

.

"Have I ever told you how pretty you are?" Alfred asked Alice as she half-dragged him down the hallway to her apartment. "Because you're, like, really pretty, Alice." The alcohol had made its way to his head, and Alice was certain that he was spouting nonsense. "I remember when I saw you for the first time at that Beatles concert. I couldn't take my eyes off of you."

"What Beatles concert?" Alice asked him, confused. She took out her key and unlocked her door. "In you go, Alfred."

"You were squealing over John Lennon. Damn, you were so cute," he continued. He followed her into the apartment. "You had no idea that I even existed at the time, but you were all I saw."

"That's very sweet of you, but it's time for you to go to bed now," she told him, locking the door behind them and leading him over to the couch. "I'll take you home tomorrow morning."

He grabbed her arm as he sat on the couch and kicked off his shoes. "Wait, I'm not done yet," he told her. "I finally got the nerve to walk over and talk to you, but you brushed me off. So I sang to you."

"What song did you sing?" Alice asked, giving in and playing along.

"I'll Get You," Alfred answered, face completely serious. "You laughed at me, Alice. But I couldn't give up on you. I remembered you from all of my past lives. I needed you."

That was when Alice became uncomfortable. "Past lives, you say? And which life are you on now?"

Alfred yawned. "I lost track," he sighed, laying back and closing his eyes. "But you're in every single one of them." And at that, he fell asleep.

Alice sat there for a moment, confused. Being only twenty-three, she was far too young to have ever been to a Beatles concert before. That was for sure. And what did Alfred say about past lives? None of it made sense. She decided to dismiss it as drunk babble and went to bed herself.

.

Alice woke up the next morning being snuggled by a sleeping Alfred. Her heart began to race as she realized that he was in her bed with her. When had that happened?! She tried to calm herself down, but nothing was working. At this rate, she was going to wake Alfred up at any moment. Then again, why was she so worried about waking him up?

She placed a firm hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. "Alfred, I need you to wake up," she stated to him. "Alfred? It's time to wake up."

He groggily opened his eyes. "Hmm? What?" he asked before yawning. "What's going on, Alice?"

"That's what I was about to ask you," she replied. "For starters, what are you doing in my bed when I left you on the couch last night?"

His eyes flew open as he realized the blunder he had made when half-drunk and half-asleep. "I am so sorry," he said, quickly moving away from her. "I didn't mean anything by it, Alice! I swear! I guess I got up and went to the bathroom and came in here instead of the living room last night."

Alice sighed. "Could you be more careful in the future?" she snapped at him. "I don't appreciate waking up to random men in my bed, whether they're famous or not."

"Understood, ma'am," Alfred answered with a nod. "I really am sorry, Alice," he sincerely said. "How can I make it up to you? I can make you breakfast, if you'd like?"

She thought it over. "That actually sounds lovely," she decided after a few moments of anxious silence. "Yes, Alfred, I would appreciate you making me breakfast."

He pulled the blanket off of himself. "Then I'll go and do just that. What would you like?"

Alice was quiet as she thought for a moment. "I would like blueberry pancakes. I was going to make some this morning anyway, so it's perfect. The instructions are right on the box that the powder is in."

"You make yours from a box?" Alfred asked. "How sad. Don't you know the best pancakes are made from scratch?" He tisked at her for a moment. "Lucky for you, I have the recipe memorized." His mouth formed into a grin. "So I'm going to go and get right on that."

Alice smiled to herself after Alfred left the room. How did she get so lucky as to be his manager? Then again, she wished they could have a closer personal relationship than this, one where they purposely woke up in bed together. But all she could do was dream.

A thought suddenly popped into her head. Alfred's drunk ramblings from the night before echoed in her head, and she wanted to go and tease him about them. Getting up out of bed, she put on her fuzzy, green bathrobe and tied it securely around her waist before walking to the kitchen.

"Alfred, you said some rather peculiar things last night," she told him. "When you were drunk, you were telling me about a Beatles concert we had met at, but the thing is, I've never been to a Beatles concert."

He nearly dropped the sugar he was pouring into a measuring cup. "Wow, that is peculiar," he nervously said. "What else did I say?"

"You were talking about serenading me with Beatles songs and how I laughed at you," she said, making tea in the corner of her kitchen. "And then you said something about me being in every one of you past lives." Alice turned to him. "Were you just messing around, or do you actually believe in past lives?"

Alfred was frozen in place. How could he answer a question like that without either seeming insane or like a liar? He was pinned in a corner by her. "Well, er," he began. "I don't really know how to answer that. You see, I was drunk and-"

"You were drunk and talking about us going to a Beatles concert!" she laughed. "I think you thought of the Beatles because I'm English, isn't that right?" She smiled at him. "But how amazing would it be if we had actually gone to one back in the sixties?" Alice sighed out as she waited for her tea to be ready. "But it was just the way you talked about it that made it seem so realistic. It's almost as if you were actually trying to convince me that it really happened. No wonder you're such a wonderful actor!"

Alfred sheepishly smiled. "Yeah, I think it was just a scene from a movie I was in," he said. "I think I was just reenacting it."

"Probably," Alice answered with a shrug. "It seemed so real, though. I'll have to check that movie out sometime."

"Yeah, if I can remember the name, I'll tell you," he lied, biting his lip. He hated lying to Alice like this, but there was no way she could know about the past lives they had spent together. It was too early for that. And it was too early in the morning to remember how she had died in that life.

.

Once Alfred was home that day, he sighed to himself. Just what exactly had he done the night before? Everything was blurry to him. Did he really tell her about the Beatles concert he had met her at in their last lifetime together? How embarrassing!

He covered his face with his hands, though there was no one around to see him blushing. All he wanted at that moment was to crawl under a rock and hide from Alice for the next thirty years! How could he have let that information slip so easily while drunk? That was insane! Every part of his brain was screaming at him for being so stupid.

He then thought back to her from that life. She had been so happy and carefree back then. Then in this life, she was strict and disciplined. Was this the universe's way of getting back at her for the way she had died? That was something he constantly pondered. It didn't make any sense at all. Why was she this way in this life?

In all of their past lives, they would laugh and joke together. They had barely done that in this life, and it was bugging at him. Was it because he had to get her to remember? Because once she remembered him in all of the other lives, she was a lot happier to be with him. Why were things so difficult this time around?

.

Late August, 1993

Alice Jones laid back against her husband and smiled up at him. "What do you think it's going to be?" she asked him, placing a hand on her stomach. She was so excited to be a new mother. Her whole body seemed to be humming with life and joy.

"I don't know," Alfred answered. "But I'm sure the baby will be beautiful, just like you."

"Oh, stop that," she giggled, blushing. Everything about that moment was perfect for them to share a kiss, so she put her hand on the back of his neck and led his face to hers so they could. "You're just too sweet to me."

"How else should a husband be toward his beautiful wife?" he asked her. "I mean, we've been trying for this baby for years, right? And look, we're finally getting one. I mean, we're in our mid-thirties, but we have a baby on the way. Isn't that just incredible?"

Alice blushed. "I know that," she said. It was true, she and Alfred had been trying for over a decade to get pregnant, and it had finally happened. She just hoped that they would get to keep it. "I'm so happy right now."

"I can feel it in the vibes you give off," Alfred told her, smiling. "You're wonderful, Alice."

"Not nearly as wonderful as you," she told him before pulling him in for another kiss.

.

Present Day

Alice sat up on her couch. Had she really dreamed something that seemed so real? What was going on? Was it because of Alfred's talk of past lives that she had dreamed something like that? It was so real to her that she placed a hand on her stomach to make sure she wasn't pregnant.

When she realized she was still Alice from 2017, she heaved a great sigh. What a strange dream to have. She didn't know what to make of it, so she just let it go and drift to the back of her mind as she thought of what kinds of things were on her agenda for that day. After all, now that she was in charge of two schedules instead of just one, she was a lot busier and needed to keep track.

"Alfred Jones, what have you done to me?" she muttered to herself as she opened her planner with a sigh. "You have me dreaming of 'past lives' and other stuff that makes absolutely no sense at all."


	3. Chapter 3

Two Months Later

Another two months went by without Alfred slipping up anymore about past lives, yet it seemed he didn't have to. Alice was having plenty of dreams about their past lives together every night, though it wasn't like she would ever mention it to him. All she could do was wonder why she was dreaming such absurd things, but she also wondered why her dreams were so lucid. What was it that made them seem so real?

Just the night before, she had dreamed of dancing with him during the Roaring 20's. The week before, she had imagined coming off a boat from England to one of the first American settlements and running into him first thing. What was all of that about? What did those dreams mean? They seemed so real that she almost believed every single one.

"Is something bothering you, Alice?" Alfred asked one night when they met for dinner. "You seem a little distant lately. Was it something I did?"

"Hmm?" Alice mused, pushing her food around her plate with her fork. "There's nothing bothering me at all, Alfred. Why would you ask that?"

"You've just seemed in a sort of daze lately," he answered, watching her take a dainty sip of her wine. "I don't really know how to put it, but you seem different. It just makes me think that there might be something on your mind. Would you care to share?" He rested his hands on his lap and leaned toward her. "I'm all ears, Alice."

Alice bit her lip for a moment. How was she supposed to approach this subject without sounding strange? "Remember that one night that you were drunk and tried to talk to me about past lives?"

Alfred nearly choked. "I try not to remember that night, if I'm honest," he chuckled to himself. "I really put my foot in my mouth and made a complete fool of myself by morning."

She giggled. "That you really did, but ever since you mentioned past lives, and the fact that I've been in all of yours, I've started to dream of us in all sorts of different time periods." Her lips straightened into a line. "But it was just drunk babble from you. Why is it starting to affect my dreams like that? I've even done some research, and none of it adds up."

He smiled a little to himself, thinking she obviously hadn't done research on the people who remember their past lives. If she had, she would know that once the significant other of the one who remembered heard about past lives, they would start remembering. It was only a matter of time now.

"What are you smiling for, Al? I'm being serious here," she stated, crossing her arms over her chest in a pout. "Why can't I stop dreaming of it? It makes no sense at all, and it's starting to frustrate me!"

Alfred cast her a kind smile. "You would think I was crazy if I told you I knew what was going on," he said before waving the waitress over for their check. "Let's talk about this in a more private setting, Alice."

"Is it something bad?" she asked, emerald eyes wide behind her glasses. Many possibilities flew through her head. Did Alfred think she was insane? Oh, God, she hoped not! "Why do we have to go somewhere more private?"

He simply put a finger to his lips as the waitress came over with their check. Alfred quickly handed over his credit card, urging her to hurry. "We have another place to be," he told the young waitress. "I'm sorry to rush you, but it's a little urgent."

"Right away, Mr. Jones," the waitress said with a wink before hurrying off toward the register.

"Where do we need to be?" Alice quietly asked, leaning toward him.

"I'm going to take you somewhere," Alfred answered as the waitress came rushing back. "Thank you," he told the young girl, signing the receipt and tipping her generously. He rose to his feet and offered Alice his hand. "Whether a romantic date or not, a gentleman must escort the lady properly."

Alice's face turned bright red, but she accepted his hand. "Thank you, Alfred," she softly stated, taking his arm once she was standing. "You really are a real gentleman, aren't you?"

"You've trained me well," he answered with a mysterious smile as he led the way out.

"There you go again," she sighed, "spouting absurd nonsense that I don't understand."

Alfred smiled down at her. "Trust me, it'll all become clear to you tonight."

Alice blinked in surprise. "Tonight? What happens tonight?" She knew she wasn't going to get an answer from him as he opened the passenger's side door of his car and gestured inside. All she could do was roll her eyes and sit in her seat before Alfred shut her door. Where was he taking her?

.

After driving for about an hour, Alfred stopped at a lakeside gazebo. He looked over at Alice. "Do you know where we are, Alice?" he asked as he unbuckled his seatbelt. He left her time to think as he got out of the car and went to open the door on her side.

"Have we been here together before?" she asked as he helped her out of the car and shut her door. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, but none of it looked familiar.

"We have," he answered, leading her over to the gazebo. "This is one of my favorite places in this city because I have many amazing memories here with you."

"But I've never been here with you before," Alice stated, looking at the golden plaque in front of the gazebo. "It says that the gazebo has been here since the 70's. That's pretty neat."

Alfred led her to the middle of the gazebo and let her look around before spinning her to face him. "Alice, look me in the eyes and think really hard. We have been here before. Just think."

Alice closed her eyes, digging deep into the depths of her mind for any memories of this gazebo. Her eyes flew open when she realized where she had seen this gazebo before. It was in one of her dreams a month ago. Alfred had proposed to her right where they were standing during the late 70's. But that was just a dream. There was no way that could be real.

"How many times have we been here?" she asked him, grabbing his shoulders so she wouldn't lose her balance because of her weakening knees. "Alfred, tell me! Did something significant happen between us here?"

"You remember, don't you?" he asked her.

"It's not that I remember. I've just dreamt of this place before," she whispered to him. Though she knew he would ask what had happened in her dream, she knew she could never tell. That would be far too embarrassing for her. After all, what kind of manager would tell her client she dreams of him proposing to her in gazebos?

"What did you dream of?"

Alice's face burned with blush. "I-I can't tell you that, Al."

"Why not? You've never restricted telling me anything, Alice, so why are you restricting now? Do you think I'll laugh at you? Because I won't." Alfred's eyes held serious intent in them. "Please tell me what happened in that dream. I need to know."

"Why do you need to know?" she snapped. "What could it possibly benefit?"

"Alice, please," he softly said. "I need to know what happened in your dream. I won't consider it silly, and I won't consider you weird either."

She took a deep breath. "If I tell you, will you drop it right after?"

Alfred held up three fingers in a boy scout salute. "I swear."

Alice smiled a little before taking a deep breath. "In my dream, it was the late 70's. We came here on a beautiful autumn day as the sun was setting, because you requested it. I was shivering because it was chilly out, and I was turned away from you. You cleared your throat and I turned around…" Her voice trailed off. "In your hand was an open ring box with a beautiful diamond ring in it. You were proposing to me, and I accepted," she quietly finished. "Are you happy now?"

He was grinning from ear to ear. "I'm glad you remember."

"Remember what?!" she nearly shouted at him, unable to control her temper. "What am I supposed to be remembering, Alfred?!" Alice was trembling with rage. "It was just a dream I had! A dream!"

"But it's…"

"And how dare you try to make a fool of me when I tell you of a dream that I had!" she shouted, pointing in his face. "What kind of a woman do you take me for?! I'm not like you little, Hollywood flings, Alfred Jones! I am a real woman with real feelings! How dare you try to charm me by manipulating my mind!"

"That's not what I'm trying to…"

"I'm not a flirtatious, Hollywood hussy who is willing to sleep with you just because you brought me to a beautiful place!" she continued. "I have a heart, Alfred, and it's fragile! You can't just mess with it like this when you're bloody bored or whatever!"

"Will you just listen to me?!" Alfred interjected, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders. The intensity in his voice silenced her. "None of that is my intention, Alice. I'm just trying to get you to remember!"

"Remember what?!" she demanded. "I don't understand what I need to remember at all! There is nothing for me to remember!"

"But there is!" he insisted. "There is so much for you to remember, but I can't just simply explain it to you! It's too complicated!"

"What's so bloody complicated about it, Alfred?! Do you think I'm just too stupid to understand?! Is that it?!"

Alfred was beginning to become frustrated. He took a deep breath before responding. "Maybe it was a bad idea to bring you here too early," he sighed.

"Too early?! What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It's nothing bad," he calmly assured. "It just means it's too early right now."

"But what's too early?" Alice asked, exasperated. She was finally past yelling and was ready to just go home and go to bed. "I don't understand what you're saying." Her eyes looked into his. "Help me understand, Alfred. Give me a signal that will help me understand."

Alfred blinked in surprise for a moment before leaning his head down and kissing her lips. He had no other way to explain what he meant, yet maybe through physical contact more memories could be uncovered. The one thing he noticed was that she wasn't fighting him, but she wasn't kissing him back either. She was just standing there. And when he pulled away, he noticed that her eyes were wide open.

"W-Why would you do that?" she stuttered, staring up at him. "Is this all just some sort of romantic gesture from one of your movies? Is that all you see me as, just some girl to toy with?"

"No! Not at all!" he insisted.

"All my life, I have had men like you walk all over me," she growled. "It's a man's world, and I've come to accept that. But that doesn't mean that they have a right to my body without my permission." She reached up and smacked Alfred's face, hard. "Is that the kind of respect your mother taught you to treat women with?" Her eyes sparkled with tears. "Do you do this with every new girl you come across? Is this why women apparently love you?" Alice clenched her teeth, hard. "Well, I've got some news for you, Alfred Franklin Jones. The woman standing before you is one who won't ever fall for you phony Hollywood schemes. Come to think of it, she won't ever fall for you, period."

Alfred just stood there in shock for a few moments as he watched her storm off away from the gazebo. He had been right. It was definitely too early for all of this. "Alice, wait," he called after her, hurrying off after her retreating form. "At least let me drive you home."

"Why?" she demanded without turning around. "So you can harass me on the way to my apartment as well? I'm not interested! Go pick up a prostitute and have your way with her, because it won't be me!"

"Alice," he groaned. "Stop being so stubborn, and just get in my car! I won't even say a word on the drive to your place."

She turned around to face him, hand on her hip. "And will you keep your hands and lips to yourself?"

"Absolutely," he assured. "You can trust my word on that."

"If you don't, I swear I'll quit on the spot," she warned.

Whenever her voice took a warning tone, Alfred knew she was dead serious. He simply bowed his head in agreement. "I understand," he simply said. "I'll behave myself."

Alice opened the passenger's side door to Alfred's car and climbed in. "You better," she snapped before shutting the door a little harder than planned.

.

Once alone at her apartment, Alice reviewed the night in her head. There were some things that just didn't seem right to her. The main thing was, how did Alfred know about her dream? That seemed oddly suspicious. Why did he plead so much to hear what she had dreamed of? Why did he even care in the first place?

His grand gestures lately really did make her feel as if she were in the romantic scenes of a movie. There was no lie about that. What was he trying to do? Was he really trying to sleep with her like she thought he was? If so, then why did he take her to the exact gazebo where her dream took place? Nothing seemed to be adding up.

Alice's head began to ache, so she sat down on her couch with a cup of tea, trying to make it go away. She didn't want to keep thinking about this all night, but all of her questions about Alfred's actions that night plagued her.

Did she really mean the cruel things she said to him? Did she really think she would never fall for the charming Hollywood superstar Alfred F. Jones?


	4. Chapter 4

March 1994

Alfred entered his and Alice's bedroom to find her in fetal position on her side of the bed, the same place she had been for days. He sighed and sat down next to her on the edge of the bed. "Alice," he softly said, placing a hand on her arm. His mouth formed into a frown as she recoiled at his touch. "Please, baby," he softly pleaded, "it's been three days since you've last eaten."

"I'm not hungry," she mumbled back. Her frame had become so thin in the past month. She squeezed her eyes shut as her husband took her hand.

"Alice, it's been a month since we lost her," Alfred said. "Lying around like this won't help either of us. I hate seeing you like this. What happened to my lovely Alice Jones who was always so warm and loving?"

The blonde held her breath for a moment before answering. "She died with our unborn daughter."

His heart sank in his chest as a lump came to Alfred's throat. "Babe, please don't talk like that. I know you're still hurting. So am I. But I can't bear to lose you too."

Alice squeezed her husband's hand. "Alfred, love, why does this have to hurt so much? Why did it have to be our baby? Why? Why?! Why?!" She broke down into sobs as she clung to Alfred's hand as if it were the only thing that could save her. "They say the heaviest of burdens only go to those who can bear them, but this is too much, Alfred! Everything hurts! I can't take it anymore!"

Alfred ran his fingers through Alice's thin, blonde hair. "It does hurt, my angel," he soothed. "I know it does. I, too, feel that this is too much." He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Alice's temple. "Is there anything I can do to help ease the pain?" He heard a small, muffled reply but couldn't understand it. "Come again, darling?"

"Just bloody kill me!" Alice cried out, curling in on herself.

Only then did Alfred Jones suddenly feel the crushing weight of everything around him. A single tear slid down his cheek as he squeezed his wife's hand tightly. "Oh, Alice…"

.

Present Day

It had been two weeks since the gazebo incident. Things had become significantly awkward between Alfred and Alice, despite Alfred's many attempts to smooth things over. No matter how desperately he tried to resolve things and get everything back to the way it was, his blunder at the gazebo couldn't so easily be forgotten. To Alfred, it was almost as if Alice mentally flinched at the sight of him.

Alice could plainly see how hard Alfred was trying, but she couldn't bring herself to drop it. Though it had been two weeks since it happened, she still got flustered at the sight of that seemingly-perfect man. It wasn't so much as anger anymore, but more like utter confusion. Why had her dreams of Alfred become more realistic ever since he had kissed her? It were almost as if Alfred's kiss had propelled her mind and heart into overdrive while awake and even in slumber. Why was he the only thing on her mind?

"Hey, uh, Alice," Alfred awkwardly began during a lunch break in between filming sessions. His eyes widened when he saw her nearly jump out of her skin at the sound of his voice. True, they had been sitting in silence for the past fifteen minutes, but had she really been so distracted as to forget that he was there? "Are you doing okay? You haven't exactly been yourself lately."

She could feel her cheeks growing hot as she struggled to look up at the handsome blond across the table from her. "I'm perfectly fine, Alfred. Don't concern yourself with little, old me. Worry more about the filming today."

Alfred sighed and unceremoniously dropped his fork onto his plate. "Was what I did so wrong, Alice?" he asked. "No matter how many times I apologize or try to fix things, you only hold tighter to that one mistake I made. Was what I did that bad? Was it that unforgivable? Just talk to me, Alice," he pleaded. "Things are weird between us right now. Please let me know what I have to do to fix it."

"It's not that simple, Alfred," Alice quietly answered. "Ever since that, my mind has been in a frenzy. My dreams have been absolutely absurd! They're so lucid that I'm starting to have trouble with differentiating them from reality! You're in every single one of them! Alfred Franklin Jones, what have you done to me?!" She balled her hands into fists and slammed them onto the table in frustration. "Those stupid memories you apparently have of us from only God knows how many timelines have been transferring to my dreams. I will ask you once more. What have you done to me?"

"I didn't do anything, Alice."

"That's bloody bullshit, and you know it, Alfred!" she shouted, standing up and glaring at him from across the table.

"But I really didn't do anything!" Alfred insisted. "Are you suggesting that I am controlling your thoughts from outside of your head? Do you even realize how stupid you sound right now?!" Only after the words left his mouth did the man realize his blunder.

"Stupid?" she asked, a terrifying calmness in her voice. "You think I sound stupid, Alfred?" There was an icey edge to each word that escaped her lips, which Alfred knew only to exist whenever she was furious beyond belief. "Who was the bloody twat who began this sort of past lives talk in the first place?! Because it sure as hell wasn't me! You were so intent on discussing these bloody past lives with me, but now that I am willing to discuss them, you call me stupid!"

"Yeah, I really didn't think before speaking," Alfred groaned to himself.

"You're damn right you didn't think, Alfred!" she shouted. "You never do!" Her hand clenched into a tight fist. "This all stemmed from that night when you were drunk off your ass and rambling about some Beatles concert we apparently attended in a past life! Yet you, Alfred Jones, have the audacity to call me stupid?!" She stormed over to his side of the table and, before she could stop herself, slapped Alfred as hard as she could, knocking his glasses across the room. Alice instantly recoiled, realizing what she had done. Her voice panicked and shaking, she attempted an apology. "Alfred, I…" She was at a loss for words.

"I deserved that," he quietly stated, standing up. His movements were stiff as he walked over to where his glasses landed and picked them up. "Do you feel better now?"

Alice held her hands tightly in front of her, her emerald gaze drifting to the floor. She couldn't bring herself to even look at him. Her stomach twisted in a knot as the severity of the consequences of her actions weighed down heavily upon her. At the very least, she would be fired on the spot, yet who knew if Alfred Jones would be that kind after what she had done. Her brain went into a frenzy as she tried to comprehend how much she would lose if he decided to sue her for hitting him. Anything he may have been yelling at her fell upon deaf ears as the panic rose higher and higher in her body. It was only when she felt herself wrapped in a firm embrace that she finally came back to her senses.

Alfred had wrapped his arms tightly around her, realizing how panicked he was. He couldn't bear to see the devastation on her face any longer. His chest was soon soaked with the tears that he knew she had no idea she was crying. He cradled her head against him as she began to calm down.

"What is the meaning of this?" she slowly asked. "Aren't you going to fire me? Sue me?"

He chuckled as he nuzzled the top of her head. "Of course not," he simply said. "After this and the gazebo incident, I'd say we are even."

An overflowing sense of relief, washed over Alice. She doubted it was only relief, though. In her mind, something seemed to have changed about Alfred, though she couldn't name what it was exactly. Something about him seemed more beautiful than before, and she tried to convince herself that it only seemed that was because he spared her career.

"Are we feeling better now?" Alfred asked, pulling away. He put his hand under Alice's chin and tilted her head up to look at him, showing her his dazzling smile. "You're not still mad at me, are you?"

The manager sighed. "How could I be after you spared me and showed me mercy?" Her emerald eyes met his. "You are much too kind to me, Alfred Jones."

He winked at her. "Think nothing of it, sweetheart."

Alice's face instantly flushed. "There you go again," she lectured. "You are much too charming and flirtatious for your own good." She crossed her arms in a pout. "Then again, it is part of your image, so I guess I can't be too upset over it." Her hand pushed her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose. "Do tell me what I am supposed to do with you when you act this way," she sighed.

"Whatever you'd like to do," he flirtatiously responded before taking off toward the set to continue recording.

His manager clenched her fists tightly by her side after he disappeared. She was glad he was gone, so that way he wouldn't see the charmed expression on her face. Alice had no idea how much longer she could take him being that way before jeopardizing her career by falling madly in love with him. Didn't he think about her job before he did such things? While it aggravated her, she did feel a sort of fuzzy feeling in her heart, knowing that she was the woman who spent the most time with him and knew him best. Or at least that's what she wanted to believe.

.

"Alice Kirkland!" Alfred cried out, smacking his fists onto the desk she had been working at, causing her to let out a startled shriek. His grin was almost too big for his face. "Do you have plans tonight?"

She regained her composure and shuffled her papers around on her desk. "No, I don't. And do refrain from ever doing that again. I thought my heart was going to stop." Even as she said those words, she could still feel her heart pounding wildly in her chest. "Do you get some kind of sick and twisted pleasure from frightening people to their near deaths?"

"Maybe," he sing-songed back at her. He leaned across her desk at her. "What do you say you and I go get some dinner tonight? We haven't had a decent meal together in a long time. There's a new place that I want to check out, and I think you'll like it. They even have scones on the menu!"

Her posture perked up when she heard that there were scones. "What kind of a place is it?"

He pushed his slender index finger against her lips. "Hush now, Miss Kirkland. All I need is a nod or a head shake." Alfred winked a blue eye at her, a confident smile playing on his lips.

Alice thought it over. She didn't have much paperwork left to do at work, and that would resolve in her finishing her work for the day. Also, Alfred was right, they hadn't have a decent dinner in awhile due to the awkwardness between them. The pros had definitely outweighed the cons and she found herself nodding in agreement.

"Sweet!" he cheered, pumping his fist into the air. "How much more work do you have left to do so I can make a reservation?"

She glanced at the small pile of papers to the left of her. "Give me an hour to finish my paperwork and primp myself up a little."

Alfred felt his heart skip a beat when she said she wanted to primp herself up. Was she wanting to look nicer for him? He could feel a blush rising to his cheeks and turned his back to her, heading toward the door of her office. "Yes, ma'am. I'll be back in an hour."

His manager watched him go, smiling fondly after him as he left. She almost felt as if she were the only person who ever saw this side of Alfred. It was nice that he was pretty playful and fun, making her job much, much easier. There was nothing she didn't enjoy when working with him.

She chided herself for admiring him as he left. If she couldn't focus on her work, then she wouldn't get to go out to dinner with Alfred. That was enough motivation for her to get the job done in record time.

.

Alfred rapped on the door of Alice's office an hour later. He really hoped that he didn't put on too much cologne. Though he was a grown man, he still managed to struggle with the amount of cologne to put on. Maybe it was just his nerves getting to him over the fact that he and Alice were finally going on a date again after so long.

"Come in," Alice softly called through the door.

When he opened the door, he saw her fastening the final pin she needed for her hair style. He was rendered speechless and breathless. Sure, he saw her all dolled up on multiple occasions, but knowing that she looked like this specifically for him made him more happy than he cared to admit.

Alice turned around to face him. She had touched up her makeup just enough to add definition to her eyes and make them pop. "Are you ready, Alfred?" she asked, smiling softly. She had taken extra care to make sure she fit his preferences that she knew of. He was always taking her breath away whenever they were together, but now it was her turn to repay the favor. All she wanted was to make him breathless, and she would be damned if that didn't happen.

Alfred took a moment to come to his senses, much to Alice's delight. "What? Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm good to go. How about you?" He struggled to find words to say. What was wrong with him? He had never been a man who was ever at a loss for words, yet he couldn't think of a damn thing to say as he looked at the beautiful girl who stood before him. "You look nice," he finally said.

Her cheeks flushed. "Th-Thank you, Alfred." Though she planned to render him speechless, once she achieved her goal, she didn't exactly know what to do. She didn't know how to follow up. "You, uh, look nice as well," she managed to say after a long pause.

What was so different at that moment than any other night they went to get dinner? Why were things so awkward? Was it because they had just made up from an awkward blunder that put a rift in their relationship? Relationship? What kind of relationship did they truly have? What did Alfred really think of Alice, and vice versa?

He grinned at her and offered her his arm. "Shall we go, Alice?" His bright blue eyes took in every last inch of the woman in front of him. He just couldn't get enough of her and internally reminded himself that he was not allowed to make any moves on her again. "You're going to love this place. It has all kinds of traditional British food."

"There are people who don't have the palette for British food," she slowly said, looping her arm through his. "Are you sure you can handle that?"

"If it's something you like, then I'm certain that I'll enjoy it as well," he said, leading the way out of the office. "After all, you've never steered me wrong yet, right?"

Alice tightened her grip on his arm as she smiled. "And I don't plan to."


	5. Chapter 5

Four hours and many, many drinks later, Alfred and Alice found themselves chatting it up on the sofa in Alice's living room, passing a bottle of wine back and forth. Alfred had discovered that a drunken Alice was a lot of fun, because she no longer kept up appearances and was much more relaxed. Her usual proper British accent had developed into a Cockney accent that her male companion just couldn't get enough of.

"What's so great about fame and fortune anyway?" Alice ranted as she yanked off her heels and threw them toward the front door. She lost her balance and had nearly tumbled off the sofa, but Alfred had caught her just in time. "What's so wonderful about the entire bloody world knowing your business?" To maintain her balance on the sofa, she draped her thin legs over Alfred's.

The man put an arm over her shins to hold her legs in place. "Do I sense jealousy in your voice, Alice?" he teasingly asked, smirking at the drunken woman. "Are you jealous of my fame and fortune?"

"Goodness, no!" she quickly defended, waving her free hand through the air as if swatting away the very idea of jealousy. "I enjoy my private life, thankyouverymuch!"

"I think you're just being proud," Alfred laughed. Though he had been drinking alongside her, he held his alcohol rather well and was borderline sober.

"Me? Proud?" Alice cackled loudly at the very thought of it. "Come off it, Alfred! When have I ever been proud?" She stuck her nose in the air and took a rather large swig of wine. Hiccups began to interrupt her speech. "I -hic- am not a proud -hic- woman! I would never -hic- stoop so low as to be -hic- jealous of the likes of -hic- you, Alfred Jones! No matter how -hic- handsome you may be!"

Alfred's mouth twisted into a sadistic smirk. "You think I'm handsome?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow in interest. "How handsome?"

"Do I even need to -hic- explain that shit to you?" she laughed. "You know very well just how -hic- handsome you are! You're like -hic- sex with legs! Any woman in her right -hic- mind would love to spend a -hic- steamy night between your legs!"

The man laughed heartily and removed his glasses to wipe the tears of laughter from his eyes. "Sex with legs?" he asked, trying hard to calm himself down. "And when you say 'any woman', are you including yourself in that category as well?"

"Of course I am!" Alice exclaimed, as if it would be ridiculous if she wasn't included. She finished off the wine and unceremoniously dropped the empty bottle to the floor with a dull thud. "A good shag with you would be a -hic- dream come true!" Her laughter filled the room, hiccups interrupting it on occasion. "If it weren't unprofessional, I'd -hic- shag you right now!"

"Oh you would, would you?" he teasingly asked. Though he was used to dealing with drunken, horny Alice in past lives, he was nervous this time around. They weren't in a relationship or married, and the majority of their relationship at that point was strictly professional. Alfred had heard of other actors sleeping with their managers, but he didn't want that kind of reputation. All he wanted was Alice, and though it would be painfully difficult to him, he knew that he had to resist her advances that were coming his way.

Alice moved to sit on Alfred's lap, straddling his hips between her knees seductively. "Absolutely," she answered, taking the pins out of her hair. Her golden hair fell and flowed down her back. "I want to shag you -hic- right here, right -hic- now." She began to nip at his jaw and kiss his neck. "That is, if you'll -hic- have me."

As much as it pained him to do so, Alfred placed his hands on her shoulders and gently moved her away from him. "I can't do this, Alice," he told her. "Not like this. Taking advantage of your drunkenness isn't right. I can't do this and still call myself a man."

"But I give you permission to do anything you'd like to me," she seductively said, pushing the thin straps of her dress down her shoulders. "I want to -hic- know if you're as great of a -hic- lover as I assume you'd be." She moved closer to him once more, grinding her hips onto his, feeling him grow beneath her. "I can tell that you -hic- want me, Alfred."

He grudgingly moved her back once more. "I will not deny that there's nothing I want more than to sleep with you," he began, "but not like this, Alice. I can't sleep with you when you're like this."

"Why not, Alfred?" she asked, unzipping her dress in the back. "I want you to make me yours."

Alfred quickly reached around behind her and zipped her dress back up. "Though you are saying these things, you're not in your right state of mind." He wanted her so badly. More than anything, he wanted to scoop her up and take her to the bedroom for the best night of their young lives so far, but he couldn't justify that in his head. "I don't want you to believe you want this and then decide you didn't once you're sober. We can wait to do this when you're thinking clearly."

"Alfred, darling, don't you -hic- want to shag me?"

"That's not the problem here," he told her. He scooped her up in his arms and made his way to her bedroom. "I want you so badly that I'm internally kicking myself for denying this opportunity," he admitted, setting her down on her bed. "You're drunk, Alice. There's no way we can do something like this and feel good about it in the morning. I want you to be sober so you can feel and remember the entire experience."

Alice frowned at him. "Your words are teasing me," she complained. "You say you want me, but you refuse me. Nothing you do makes sense. I want you to love me, Alfred. I try so hard every day so that one day you will love me, and it all results in absolutely nothing!" A tear slid down her cheek. "You are so unfair…"

His heart lurched at her words. Why couldn't she understand that the situation was just as difficult for him. "Tell you what, Alice," he began, "I'll sleep on the sofa in your living room tonight. If you wake up sober and decide that you still want this, you know where to find me."

"May I make one last request?" she softly asked, looking up at him with pouting eyes. "If we can't shag tonight, will you at least kiss me?"

Seeing how it wasn't something either of them could regret if it was just that, Alfred saw no real harm in it. He leaned in to peck her lips, but was caught completely off guard as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him down with her. His mind was overflowing with lustful thoughts, but he fought them off as best as he could.

Alice momentarily broke off their kiss. "Kiss me like you mean it, Jones," she huskily whispered against his lips. Her mouth then accosted his one more. She pressed her heated body to his in an attempt to make him change his mind. She could feel his desire against her thigh, but her drunken mind couldn't comprehend why he just wouldn't sleep with her. Was she doing something wrong?

After about fifteen minutes of making out, Alfred got up. "It's about time we headed to bed," he told her. "I'll bring you a glass of water." He left the room for a moment and came back with a tall glass of water from the kitchen. His mouth formed into a smile to see that she was already asleep. "Goodnight, my dearest," he whispered, setting the water on her nightstand. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before going to the bathroom to tend to himself before going to lie down as well.

.

Alice woke up in the morning, feeling as though she had a weird dream about trying to sleep with Alfred. Her cheeks flooded bright red with embarrassment. She then realized that she was still wearing her dress from the night before. There was also a full glass of water on her nightstand. Taking grateful gulps of the water, she thought back to the details of the night before.

She then remembered one thing Alfred had told her. "If you wake up sober and decide that you still want this, you know where to find me." Her entire body felt as if it went up in flames at the thought of it all. Did he really mean that? If he did, was he still waiting out there for her? And if he was, did the offer still stand?

Alice gave her hair a quick tug. "What are you thinking, Alice?" she hissed at herself. "Alfred isn't out there, waiting to sleep with you if you still want it." She then thought about it. Did she still want to sleep with him? Her cheeks felt hot over thinking about sex with Alfred first thing in the morning. Was that what she wanted?

After thinking about it for an extended period of time, she crept down her hallway toward the living room. Her heartbeat quickened its pace when she saw him asleep on her sofa. She nearly gasped upon seeing him there. She had spent all that time believing that she had imagined it all, but now she could see that it was all real.

Many thoughts filled her head about what she should do. Originally, she had decided that she was going to take him up on his offer if he was out here, convinced that there was no way he was. Seeing him lying on her couch, her desire for him grew, yet she was embarrassed by thinking about how badly she truly wanted him.

He stirred in his sleep as his eyes flickered open. For a moment, he looked disoriented before he noticed Alice standing in the hallway. "Alice?" he sleepily asked. "Good morning. How are you feeling?"

Her heart swelled when he looked at her, and she knew right then and there what she really wanted. In two large steps, she was on the couch with him, lips connected to his. She pressed herself to him, completely sober and aware of what her actions meant.

"I'm awake," she told him when they came up for air. Her hand reached out and caressed his cheek. "I'm awake, I'm sober, and my mind hasn't changed." She slowly unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor, exposing her under garments. "If you'll have me, I'm yours."

Alfred didn't have to be told twice. He pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her, trailing kisses to her jaw, down her neck, along her collar bone, and down her chest. His arms scooped her up into them as he carried her off to her bedroom, ready to give her the best morning sex of her life.

.

Alice laid in bed quite awhile later, gazing over at Alfred. She was absolutely speechless, completely amazed over what had just occurred. Her entire body was currently sensitive to even the slightest touch, having reacted the way that she and Alfred had desired for it to all morning long. For the first time in her life, she finally felt truly fulfilled after sleeping with a man.

"Did I live up to your expectations?" Alfred asked, smirking at her. His glasses were still off, but he was nonetheless just as charming as always. "Would you ever want a second experience?"

"I want all of the experiences," she sheepishly told him. "I want to be the only one who experiences this with you." Her face was red as she admitted her true feelings on it. Feeling embarrassed, she quickly buried her blushing face in her pillow. "Is that so wrong?"

"Not at all," he answered, grinning widely. His fingers twisted into her blonde hair as he curled the strands around them. He kissed at her collar bone, nipping at her earlobes. "I'm all yours, Alice. I only want to be yours." Alfred snuggled up to her and rested his head on her shoulder. "There is absolutely no other woman for me."

"Do you promise?" she asked, sticking out one of her pinkies. Her mouth formed into a grin as he wrapped his much larger pinky around her extended one. Alice shifted her position to lie on her back and look up at the ceiling as she mused aloud. "Say, Alfred, suppose the past lives you ramble about on occasion really do exist," she began. "If that were the case, then how many more lives do we have together?"

Without missing a beat, Alfred responded. "All of them." He grinned up at her. "Since our first life together, there has never been any other woman for me, Alice. I only want you." His cheeks turned bright red as he thought for a moment. "I have a theory that the reason I can remember you from every single past life of ours is because you're my soulmate. Every time I am reincarnated, I search the entire earth for you."

"Suppose I believed in these past lives that we shared," she hypothesized, looking over at him. "If they were all real, does that mean that me being sought out to become your manager was planned? You looked for me so that we could be together?"

"It's time you knew the truth," he admitted. "Yes, I asked my previous manager to seek you out. Even if you hadn't gone to school for business, I would have found another job for you to do. Everything I do in life, Alice, I do for you. Please always remember that."

Though she had only been hypothesizing when she suggested that, she still couldn't believe her ears upon hearing the truth. Still thinking the possibility of past lives was ridiculous, that all seemed impossible. Yet when she witnessed Alfred saying those things with such conviction, she began to doubt her own mind. Were past lives really real? None of this was made up? Did he really believe everything was saying? If he believed it all, did that mean she should as well? It was all so confusing, yet she didn't feel nearly as bothered by it as she thought she would.

"I'll keep that in mind," she decided. There was so much that she wanted to know about Alfred and his thought process, yet she couldn't find her voice nor the questions to ask. All she could do was gaze at the amazing man lying next to her. It was true that she had fallen in love with him, yet she had no idea when that was. To her, she felt as if she had been in love with him all along, perhaps even before they had met. Did that mean that the past lives were real?

"I'm sure this is a lot to take in right now," he told her, comfortingly running his fingers through her hair. "I will answer any questions that you may have."

Alice took a deep breath for a moment, then she spoke. "Would it be possible for me to be in love with you all along, even before I knew you?" she finally asked. "To me, it sounds absurd, but given the probability of past lives…"

"I'd say it's possible to subconsciously love someone," he answered. "Before I start regaining my memories of my previous lives, I feel a strong bond toward someone, but I'm never able to figure out who until I reach a point in my memories of past lives where I met you. When I come across or finally remember you, the strong bond suddenly makes sense. I sound insane, but it's the honest truth."

"At least you're aware of how insane you sound, love," she giggled. She reached over and moved his bangs out of his face before kissing his cheek. Even as she spoke to him and kissed him, she still couldn't believe any of it was real. In her mind, there was no way that an amazing man like Alfred would love someone like her. She just couldn't wrap her mind around it.

"You are everything I could ask for in a woman, and so much more," he said, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Being with you like this is a dream come true. I never want anyone else, Alice Kirkland. You're the only woman out there for me."

"Cross your heart and hope to die?" she asked, grinning up at him.

Alfred drew a cross over his heart with his index finger. "Stick a needle in my eye," he finished. "There is so much more in store for us if you'll accept me."

"And if I say no?" Alice teased.

He smirked and rolled on top of her, kissing her deeply. "Then I'll just have to change your mind, won't I?"


	6. Chapter 6

Six Months Later

"Alfred Jones, what made you suddenly announce your engagement to your manager?" a reporter asked at a press conference the movie star attended with his lovely fiancee. "How long have the two of you been engaged? Did you decide to make it public since you have a new movie release coming up?"

The actor smiled and squeezed his manager's hand, smiling at her. "Alice and I have been engaged for nearly three months now. She truly is my better half and is better at keeping me in line than any other person. I did not do this for publicity. In fact, if it were up to her, it would still be a secret. The reason I decided to bring it to light is simply so everyone knows that I only have one woman in my heart, and that will never change."

"Will Miss Kirkland remain as your manager once the two of you are married?" another reporter asked.

"Absolutely," Alfred answered without a moment's hesitation. "We plan to remain together, and what better way than to continue her career as my manager? Even after we were engaged, she has still been diligent in her work and is a pro at separating her work from our personal life. Alice is absolutely incredible at her job, and I would never want anyone else to do it."

.

"Al, you were doting again," Alice sighed once the interview was over. Her cheeks were still red with blush from the adorable things he had been saying about her. "What have I told you about doing that? It's embarrassing, you know?"

"Oh, let me express my love for you," Alfred chuckled. "I want everyone to know just how much you mean to me. It's not my fault that you get embarrassed over my love for you." He shrugged indifferently. "If I want to shout my love for you to the entire world, then I will. You can't stop me." His radiant smile of pride caused her to blush even more than before. "You are everything I could dream of an so much more. And when I say 'everything', I mean everything."

"I think I get it," she replied, trying to keep her face hidden so people couldn't see how red it was. "You're the only man to ever go on and on about me. Though I am embarrassed, I truly am flattered. It's just hard to express that, you know? I'm sorry."

He put his arm around her and pulled her close. "There is nothing that you need to apologize for, my dear. I will work to get you used to my compliments."

Though she said it aloud to herself, she knew Alfred heard her. "I hope to never get used to them. They make me feel higher than the clouds."

"I can only hope that you will always feel that way," he mused, a content smile playing on his lips. "Because that means that you still love me."

"Idiot," Alice muttered. She fixed her gaze on her fiance. "I will always love you, even if your compliments won't always make me blush. Blushing is a form of puppy love. I firmly believe that what we have is so much more than puppy love. What we have is so much more than any love others could ever experience." She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Our love is beyond lifetimes. You always come to find me in every life so we can share it." Her lips met his cheek. "And for that, I will always love you with every ounce of me."

Alfred smirked at her. "And even when these lives are up, I'll find you and love you in the next ones. There is no one I will ever love more than you."

"Is that a promise?" she asked, grinning cutely at him.

"No," he answered. "It's a vow."

Her emerald eyes lit up in pure joy. She had never heard him use a word like that, even when they had discussed their wedding. To her, there was nothing more sacred than a vow. Even a pinky promise was obsolete in the presence of one. Hearing such a vow from the man that she loved sent her heart soaring to the moon and back. Alice felt that her body wouldn't be able to contain the joy that she felt. In just under a year, this man had flipped her entire world upside down and caused her to fall head-over-heels.

If Alice's mother ever asked if she would marry someone that she had known for less than a year, she would've scoffed at her and changed the subject. But when she had called her mother and told her that she was marrying the Alfred Jones, her mother cried tears of joy. Granted, Alice knew her mother would cry like that over any man she would marry. Her family was so proud of her for finding love, especially with a man like Alfred.

"I never thought I could ever be this happy," Alice mused, looking up at him. "To me, falling in love and getting married was just a thing I saw most people do, but it never really seemed like my kind of thing. And then I met you. When I fell in love with you, there was nothing I wanted more than to be Alice Jones. You are the only man in my life. I will never love anyone else."

Alfred smiled at her and kissed her forehead. "Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of the day I would meet you. And when we finally met, you were everything I had dreamed of and more. Alice, in my eyes, you are the reason for my existence. I only exist to love you."

"Listen to me," she said, reaching up and cupping his cheek in her palm. "You exist for so much more than that. I exist for so much more than that. Our love for each other is just one of the many amazing perks we have in our lives."

"You're amazing," he replied. "I love you so much. You're the best part of my life."

"And you're the best part of mine." She grabbed his hand and intertwined her fingers with his before giving his hand a firm squeeze. "I would never want anyone else. You complete me."

Alfred blushed before picking up his pace and pulling her along beside him. He looked around the area until he found a small closet that he entered and pulled Alice in without attracting attention.

"What are you doing?" she asked, pressed up against him in the closet after he shut the door. "There is hardly even room for the both of us in here."

"All the more fitting for the mood I'm in," he told her, smiling deviantly.

Alice's eyes widened in understanding as he began trailing kisses down her neck. She then felt his hands begin to roam her body. Knowing that she had to stay as quiet as possible through her fiance's teasing, she buried her face in his chest to muffle the noises she made. Struggling to maintain her awareness to things around her, she began kissing him as well, their mouths muffling each other. The threat of being caught doing naughty things in public excited the both of them even more, adding in to their passion.

Unknown to the rest of the people in the large building, the two became one in the hall closet.

.

One Year Later

Alice Jones woke up to the sounds of a baby crying. It was a foreign sound to her due to the fact that she hadn't been around a crying baby in years. And then it hit her. That was her baby.

She opened her green eyes, feeling groggy and disoriented. Her surroundings were unfamiliar to her, but she soon realized that it was a hospital room. Alice moved a little and felt a searing pain in her lower stomach. She sucked in her breath, fighting back the scream that dared to escape her lips. It was then that she noticed the crying had stopped. She looked around to see the source of the pacification, and her heart melted when she found it.

Alfred was holding a tiny bundle of blankets and cooing softly to it as he bounced it. He looked as if it were a normal thing for him to do, even though he hadn't exactly been around many babies. His eyes were sparkling as he looked down at the tiny bundle. It were almost as if he were in another world, a world where only he and that baby existed.

"Darling," Alice croaked out, genuinely surprised by the roughness in her own voice. She nearly gasped when he turned to her, an expression of pure love on his face. Her hand reached out toward him, beckoning him over.

"Let's go see Mommy," he cooed at the bundle, walking over toward his wife. "She hasn't held you since you were born. Having you made her so tired. I bet she just wants to hold you and love on you. Yes she does." Alfred sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at his wife. "Do you want to hold her?"

Alice's heart raced as she reached out for the tiny bundle. She looked down at her daughter once Alfred handed her over, and her heart felt as if it were going to burst from the amount of swelling going on in it. Her baby was beautiful, the most beautiful person she had ever seen. The experience of holding that little girl was an overwhelmingly humbling experience for her mother. Everything about that moment was engraved in Alice's memory.

"She's so beautiful, Al," the new mother whispered, glancing up at her husband. "I've never seen anyone more gorgeous." Her voice trembled. "Is she ours?" She then gazed at the beautiful baby girl in her arms. "Is she really ours?"

"Yes," Alfred confirmed, moving to gaze at their daughter as well. "Can you believe it? This beautiful baby is really ours. She is a perfect mixture of each of us." He gazed fondly at Alice and their bundle of joy. "Out of the names we originally picked, which would be most fitting for her?"

"None of them," Alice whispered, making sure not to wake their child. "I feel she needs a name far more beautiful than any normal name we had chosen for her." Many possibilities flew through her mind, but none of them seemed fitting, including the names of known royalty. "I just wish I could think of one."

"How about Audrey?" Alfred suggested after a few moments of silence. "She would have the same name as Audrey Hepburn, one of the classiest ladies of her time, and a phenomenal actress."

"Audrey Jones," his wife tried out. She liked the way it sounded. "It rolls off the tongue quite nicely," she admitted. "I feel that would be a lovely name for her. In fact, it's so lovely that it doesn't seem like it even needs a middle name to go with it."

"You're right," he replied. "Audrey Jones is the perfect name for her." He smiled down at their little girl. "That's what we're going to call you," he told her. "From this moment on, your name is going to be Little Miss Audrey Jones."

.

Three Years Later

Alfred stepped off of the filming set to greet his wife behind the scenes. "You seem tired," he said, cupping her cheek in his palm. "Have you been sleeping well? If you want me to, I'll take over Audrey duty tonight after work. You had her these past two nights due to my meetings. It's my turn to do my part."

"You'll just spoil her and get her hyped up on sugar," Alice teased with a smile. "I know you by now, Alfred Jones. Are you sure I should leave her in your care, knowing that you don't pay attention to her schedule or diet?"

"Audrey is three," he laughed. "Why is her life being ruled by a schedule and a diet anyway? She should be allowed to be a kid while she can be, you know?" He smiled and kissed his wife's cheek. "But I get it. I'll follow the rules tonight so you can rest easy. I promise."

His wife teasingly smiled. "Yeah, you'll promise until she gives you her trademark puppy eyes. You always cave, and you know it. Our little girl has you wrapped around her little finger and you're helpless to her every demand."

"Damn, Alice," Alfred laughed. "Calling me out at work over home matters."

Alice grinned. "Oh, everyone knows you talk about Audrey all the time. What I'm saying is common knowledge." She winked at him and put her hand over her pregnant belly. "And I'm sure it'll be just the same when our son arrives in a few months. You were always doting on me and Audrey, and I know this little boy wouldn't be an exception. You'll be helpless against them, and I'll have to be the strict parent."

"I'll get better at being strict with them," Alfred assured. He grabbed his wife's hands and squeezed them before leaning in and kissing her cheek. "After all, we're in this together, aren't we? I need to match your pace with them and do my part."

"How did I get so lucky?" she asked him. Her eyes looked at him as if the sun wouldn't rise without him. She was still just as hopelessly in love with him as she had been for the past five years. He was everything she had ever wanted, and then some. "I couldn't ask for a better husband, coworker, or father of my children. God, I love you."

"Daddy!" a tiny yet loud voice cried out from behind them. Audrey Jones ran to her parents as fast as her little legs could carry her. She had her mother's long, blonde hair and her father's eyes. "Here I come! Pick me up!"

As Alfred hoisted the tiny girl into the air, his wife sighed and said, "Darling, how many times do I have to tell you not to run indoors like that? You could trip and hurt yourself." She looked up at their daughter and smiled. "Please be more careful, Audrey, okay? For Mummy?"

"Okay!" the toddler giggled, smiling at her parents. "Daddy, are you going to play with me and Mummy tonight?" She grinned widely, just like Alfred usually did.

Alfred grinned back at her before holding her in his arms. "I have a better idea, Audie," he replied. "Mummy gets so tired sometimes, so how about we let her take a nap at home and I take you on a special date tonight?" he suggested. "It'll be a special Daddy-Daughter date. Do you want to?"

"Will Mummy get mad?" their daughter asked, casting an unsure look toward Alice.

Alice smiled at her daughter. "Of course not, love," she assured. "You deserve to have some fun with Daddy, too. Besides, your baby brother is making me sleepy. I would love for you two to have a wonderful night for me. It would be my wish."

Audrey looked excitedly to Alfred. "Can we have fun tonight for Mummy?" she excitedly asked. "Wait, I know! Can we go buy Mummy some presents to make her feel better?" Her eyes lit up as she thought of something else. "Daddy, can we draw her pretty pictures?"

"Absolutely," Alfred agreed with a nod. "We can do anything you want tonight." He then noticed the sharp look his wife was giving him. "Within reason," he corrected, seeing Alice's expression soften immensely.

It was at that moment where Alfred realized that he really did have everything he could possibly ever want. Though the tabloids said that his fame, fortune, and good looks meant that he had it all, none of that even scratched the surface to the truth. He really did have it all. Alfred had a beautiful daughter and a son on the way. His career was enough to support his little family for the rest of their lives, even if he were to quit that very day. But most importantly, he had Alice, a woman whom he wouldn't trade for the world. With his daughter in his arms and his pregnant wife at his side, he really felt blessed. Alfred Jones really did have it all.

.

The End


End file.
